1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to power sources, and more specifically to a power source and a battery charger employing an environmental energy extractor and a method related thereto.
2. Background Art
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a prior art battery charger system 1. The prior art battery charger system 1 includes an AC power source 4 for providing power and a battery charger 2, coupled to the AC power source 4, for charging a battery 6.
Such a system 1 is limited in usefulness because of its dependence on the AC power source 4 for power. For example, if one is in a location where there are no AC power outlets, the battery charger 2 is inoperative.
FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a prior art electronic device 5 that employs a conventional power source 8. Typically, the conventional power source 8 is coupled in parallel to a circuit requiring power 7 via a switch 9. Conventional power sources 8 include AC power sources, DC power sources and batteries, among others. The electronic device 5 cannot operate without the conventional power source 8. Consequently, the electronic device 5 is either tethered to an AC outlet or dependent upon batteries with a limited life. Once the power source fails, the electronic device 5 cannot be operated.
Although the general scientific principle of extracting energy from radio signals is known, previous attempts to extract energy from radio signals and to power devices with the extracted energy have been limited in their success, usefulness, and scope. For example, in the past there have been stunts near radio transmitters where light bulbs have been powered directly from the radio signals that are generated by the radio tower. However, these stunts could only be reproduced when in the vicinity of the radio tower.
Another example of extracting energy from radio signals is the crystal radio receiver. The crystal radio receiver or "crystal set" operates as a radio receiver to receive broadcasts from local radio stations. In addition, the crystal set captures sufficient energy from the radio signals being received to drive a small pair of headphones. Consequently, the crystal set did not require a separate power source for operation. However, the amount of energy extracted is small, and the actual power generated typically was only several micro-watts, which has very limited applications. In fact, the crystal set typically did not have further utility beyond driving the small pair of headphones. Furthermore, in addition to being inefficient in extracting energy from the environment and being limited to extracting only a small amount of energy, the crystal set also suffered from the disadvantage that it could not be used to power another device or to charge a battery or other storage device so that the energy could be used at a later time.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved power source and battery charger that overcomes the dependence on an AC source for power and that efficiently captures the energy from the environment, provides the energy to power different electronic devices, and/or charges a battery or other storage device so that the energy could be used at a later time.